121 | Page e-ISSN: 2248-9126 Vol 4 | Issue 2 | 2014 | 121-123. Print ISSN: 2248-9118 Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Science & Research www.ijpsrjournal.com INVESTIGATE EFFECT OF GINKGO BILOBA ON LIPID PROFILE Ammal Ibrahim, Amer Adnan Hasan, Abbas Al-Shukrawy, Emad Yousif Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Al-Nahrain University, Baghdad, Iraq. ABSTRACT The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of Ginkgo biloba on lipid profile. Ginkgo biloba leaf extract revealed a hopeful herbal supplement as therapy for Hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Keywords: Ginkgo biloba, Lipid profile. INTRODUCTION Over the past 15 years, there has been a steady growing trend of these unconventional alternative therapies throughout the globe. The European and the U.S. markets contributed to about $7 and $5 billion per annum, respectively, in 1999[1] Until 2000, estimates showed that nearly 50 % to 75 % of the U.S. populations have tried complementary and alternative medicine [2]. Ginkgo tree is the only surviving member of Ginkgoaceae family, class of Ginkgoatae, rediscovered in Asian graced temple gardens by Kaempfer in 1670. The class of Ginkgoatae consists of approximately 15 genera, and among these, Ginkgo, Baiera, and Ginkgoites are the most important [3]. The name ginkgo comes from the Chinese words sankyo or yinkuo, which means a hill apricot or silver fruit, due to their apricot shaped mature fruits and yellow color [4]. Englbert Kaempfer, a German surgeon, first used the term “Ginkgo” in 1712, but it was Linnaeus who termed it Ginkgo biloba in 1771 [5]. Ginkgo extracted from the leaves of the ginkgo trees is considered nontoxic and is virtually without side- effects. It can be safely used with other supplements without interactions and has no reported toxicity. In rare cases, some gastric upset or incidence of headache or skin rash has occurred, which may indicate that the individual is allergic to the substance. The leaf extract of ginkgo is usually the only form that is available and is extremely safe [6]. The main two pharmacologically active groups of compounds present in the Ginkgo leaf extract are the flavonoids and the terpenoids [7]. Flavonoids, also called phenylbenzopyrones or phenylchromones. Flavonoids present in the Ginkgo leaf extract are flavones, flavonols, tannins, biflavones (amentoflavone, bilobetol, 5- methoxybilobetol, ginkgetin, isoginkgetin and sciado - pitysin), and associated glycosides of quercitin and kaempferol attached to 3-rhamnosides, 3-rutinosides, or p- coumaric esters [8]. The flavonoid content in the Ginkgo leaf is known to vary between seasons; greater amounts are found in fall than in spiring. These compounds are known to act mainly as antioxidants, free radicals scavengers, enzyme inhibitors, and cation chelates. Flavonoids in the glycosidic form are poorly absorbed in the intestine; only in the aglycone form can they be absorbed directly [9]. Unabsorbed flavonoids that reach the colon may be subject to metabolism by bacterial enzymes, and then absorbed. Once absorbed, flavonoids reach the liver where they are metabolized to conjugated derivatives. It is known that the biological activities of flavonoid metabolites are not always the same as those of the parent compound. Two types of terpenoids are present in Ginkgo as lactones (non- saponifiable lipids present as cyclic esters): ginkgolides and the bilobalide [10]. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study designed to investigate the effect of Ginkgo biloba on the level of lipid profile so the subject used Ginkgo biloba 400 mg supplied from premler health products CV49up England. The lipid profile measurement Corresponding Author:- Emad Yousif Email:emad_yousif@hotmail.com